Footrest for stepladders



Oct. 31, 1950 A. F. NEWMAN ETAL 2,528,317

FOOTREST FOR STEPLADDERS Filed April '7, 1948 l4 2/. j 4 N F 394 /7 INVENTORS AL LEN F NEWMAN AT TOR/V Y Patented Oct. 31, 195

O FFICE FOOTREST FOR STEPLADDERS Allen F. Newman and Norman J. Luttermoser,

1 Detroit, Mich.

Application April v, 1948, Serial No. 19,618

1 Claim.

This invention relates to step ladders, and more particularly to extension ladders, and the like, having rungs instead of flat steps.

An object of the invention is to provide a removable foot rest for use on ladders of the character indicated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated, which may be formed of a unitary stamping which is reinforced to provide rigidity, and which is formed with a longitudinally directed centrally positioned bend which is arranged to engage the ladder rum; to help prevent lateral displacement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foot rest which is formed with cut-out portions adapted to engage the side rails of the ladder, there being reinforced abutment members adjacent the cut-out portions arranged to engage opposite edges of the side rails of the ladder, and serve as stabilizers for the foot rest when it is in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary foot rest for extension ladders which is light in weight, compact, and readily shifted from one rung to the other by the user.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the Within disclosure, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of an extension ladder with parts broken away, showing the device embodying our invention in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of the foot rest embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character I indicates one of the side rails of an extension ladder, having rungs 8 and 9, all of which are constructed and assembled in conventional manner, and comprise no part of the invention per se. I

The invention resides in the structure which We will now define:

Our improved foot rest comprises a unitary stamping I0 which is preferably formed of aluminum or light gauge steel. The stamping I0 is formed with ribs H, I2, I3 and I4, which serve to reinforce the stamping and provide the foot rest with an anti-skid upper surface. A centrally positioned longitudinal bend I is formed in the stamping, and is spaced to engage the rung 9 of the ladder, and assists in preventing the lateral displacement of the device from the ladder.

Cutouts I6 and i I (Fig. 3) are formed at either end of the device, and the metal resulting from said cut-outs is halved. One half of which is .bent and rebent rearwardly, as at I8, to engage the down turned edge I9, and the front half of the'metal resulting from the cut-out is bent and rebent, as at 20, to engage the down turned front edge 2| of the foot rest. Although we have described the disposition of the metal resulting from the cut-out I6, it will be understood that similar treatment is afforded the metal resulting from making the cut-out IT.

The members I8 and 20, and the corresponding members of the cut-out I'I form rigid abutment members which engage the opposite edges of the side rails of the ladder and maintain the foot rest in a substantially horizontal plane, and help to carry the load on the foot rest when the device is being used.

It is contemplated that the operator using the ladder will carry the foot rest Ill to the position 1 on the ladder which he desires to occupy. The foot rest may then be placed over the desired rung by tilting the foot rest so that the cut-out portions I6 and Il may be placed into engagement with the side rails of the ladder. The operator may then rest his entire weight on the foot rest with comparatively more comfort than he would have were he to rest his full weight on the uncovered rung.

Having described the invention, What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A foot rest for a ladder comprising a unitary body having down-turned longitudinal edges and a plurality of upstanding ribs of equal depth formed on its face, one of said ribs being wider than the others and extending along the median line of said body, the under side of said wider rib being arranged to contact throughout its length the rung of a ladder, there being cutouts at either end of said body, the metal of said cutouts forming V-shaped abutment members, one leg of each said abutment member being in contact with one of the down-turned edges of said body to reinforce the same.

ALLEN F. NEWMAN. NORMAN J. LUTTERMOSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,285,817 Sklar Nov. 26, 1918 1,344,886 Hampton June 29, 1920 2,103,603 Voigt Dec. 28, 1937 2,282,133 Horton May 5, 1942 2,478,592 Nyberg Aug. 9, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29775/30 Australia Nov. 24, 1931, 

